Sunday, January 12, 2014

Copy of Parent Letter


Text Box: • Respect
• Commitment
• Gratitude
• Compassion
• Positive Thinking
January 13, 2014


Dear Parents:
Text Box:  
Welcome to our learning community.  Our English program is very rigorous and requires a strong commitment from students, parents, and teachers. As teacher-guides we believe in the audacity of possibility for every student.  We want our students to discover their talents, pursue their dreams, and realize their potential.  In order to sustain an environment where this is possible for all students our learning team expects:

·      Students come to class prepared with their novels and textbooks.
·      Students are to bring the required supplies to class daily as specified in the attached school supply sheet.
·      Binders and Backpacks should be neatly organized.
·      Students are to contribute to the health and safety of the classroom by recycling and volunteering for classroom community service jobs. Take Ownership!
·      Student grades are based on achievement in the following categories: class work, homework, participation, essays, exams, and individual/group projects.
·      Students are expected to complete their homework nightly.  All major assignments are to be typed and saved on a flash or hard-drive. You must be able to reproduce your work in case your essay is lost or misplaced. All work is to be turned in at the beginning of the class in which it is due. Do not wait until the night before to begin printing out any major assignment. Unexcused late work will lose points on a daily basis until it is submitted, and cannot be turned in after a unit is completed.
·      Students who need homework help are expected to attend LACER tutoring which meets in the school Library after school Monday- Friday.   Students can print assignments out at LACER for free. LACER also provides space for project teams to collaborate.   It also provides rehearsal space for project presentation practice.

o   We will be taking notes daily, both in class and on outside assignments. Students will review the Cornell Method of Note-taking and Close Reading Techniques in all Language Arts classes, which they will be able to apply to their science, social studies, math and elective classes.  This is an essential skill to support your student’s meeting the Common Core College and Career Ready Standards.

o   Students should review their Cornell Method class notes (for 10 minutes) daily and then begin their homework.

o   Students should schedule approximately 50 minutes per class for nightly homework or project work.

o   Most assignments and rubrics and will be posted on the class websites which can be found at http://www.hollywoodhighschool.net/

o   Students are required to submit papers and projects through the  Turnitin.com website. This year Turnitin.com provides a new grammar correction feature which students should use before they submit their papers/projects.  Students without broadband Internet access at home should plan their schedules in order to use the LACER center to submit their assignments.  LACER is open after school daily, http://www.lacerstars.org/ IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT students take an SAT PREP CLASS either at LACER or through the College Center. IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT 9th and 10th GRADERS AND ALL JUNIORS TAKE Computer Science and Video Production CLASSES AS IT WILL SUPPORT STUDENTS IN PROJECT BASED LEARNING. 

o    All students will be issued an LAUSD e-mail address. Student enrolled in first semester have already been issued emails.  They will need these addresses to use Turnitin.com and receive information from the college center. 

o   I keep my grades online for students and parents to see at http://www.engrade.com/doccgradebook1

o   Progress in meeting positive behavior plan goals and study skills can be monitored by parents and students via http://www.classdojo.com/ your student has been sent home with your enrollment instructions.

o   Your student has been issued an Engrade Account so that you can monitor your student’s progress. Monitor weekly, please!

o   Students and parents need to make their own engrade and classdojo accounts using the access code I provided.  Email me if you need an access code. 

o   A number of tutoring and mentoring programs will be available for students.  The schedule for tutoring will be sent home with your student shortly. DO NOT ALLOW YOUR CHILD TO WAIT FOR The 5th-WEEK REPORT CARD TO GET HELP!

Let us look to your child’s strengths and find the best learning strategies. Practice correlates with success! Homework reinforces classroom practice. Find a clean well-lighted place and set a time every day for homework/practice.  Build in time for reflection and generating questions so that your student develops the life-long learning skills needed in the 21st century.  Buy and Check you child’s Agenda Planner or Agenda App. and the Class Website!

Student learning team faculty and counselors meet frequently to discuss student progress and challenges.  Please feel free to contact us about your students.  You may contact faculty members by clicking on http://www.hollywoodhighschool.net/apps/staff/, find the name of the teacher and then click on SEND E-Mail.


Please make sure that we have your current contact information.

We look forward to your participation and support in the coming year.

Elizabeth Cohen, Ph.D.




Highly Recommended School Supply List English 2013-2014

·      8 Gigabyte USB flash drive for working on class projects (all classes will be engaged in media rich project-based learning this year)
·      1 box #2 pencils (school does not supply)
·      1 pencil sharpener
·      Pencil or supply case (it is easier to learn if you get organized)
·      2 multi-color Ball point pens (red, blue, green, black) for essays
·      1 box red pens (essential for peer review)
·      2 blue ball point pens (school does not supply)
·      Yellow highlighters (essential).
·      Erasers
·      1 mini-stapler (school does not supply)
·      Tissues (school does not supply)
·      Hand Sanitizer (school does not supply)
·      Language Arts binder with dividers
·      Standard Black or Purple Marbled College-ruled Composition Book for Journal  (Advisory students will need 2 books).
·      8 1/2 x 11 lined paper
·      Novels for sustained silent reading   

Essential Tools
It is essential to know your city, have Internet access, and have access to homework help.  The following are FREE Services:

·      Los Angeles Public Library Card (apply in person or online at http://www.lapl.org/about/borrower.html) can reserve 2-hour block of computer time at your local library.

·      Students under 17 should obtain a Los Angeles County Museum of Art NextGen Card http://www.lacma.org/programs/NexGenKids.aspx (Free pass to museum for student plus 1 adult.  Movies, art, and music!

·      Apple Computer offers free workshop classes on many of the computer programs you will need to know.  http://www.apple.com/retail/thegrove/
To find the location closest to you: http://concierge.apple.com/workshops/R050

Useful Web Sites:

Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
Modern Language Association citation formatting

Oxford English Dictionary
Vocabulary for the College and Career Ready student

Teacher Web Log
http://www.hollywoodhighschool.net
Weekly blog postings of assignments

Turn It In
Online originality reports for composition

College Board Online
http://www.collegeboard.org/ap
Preparation for post-secondary education endeavors




Recommended Tools

·      Microsoft Works, Office or Apple I-Works (word processing, publishing software, & database/graphing software). Public Libraries have these programs on their computers.   Students have learned or can learn how to use these programs in the Computer Science and Media Arts Electives.

9th Grade Novels and Plays supplied by Textbook Room

Catcher In The Rye
Looking for Alaska
Antigone
Romeo and Juliet
Common Core texts can be found on my blog.  Partial List below:


The Mysterious Workings of the Teenage brain


10th Grade Novels and Plays supplied by Textbook Room
Animal Farm
1984
Farenheight 451
Julius Caesar

Common Core texts can be found on my blog.
Learning Team Class Rules

Rule
What the behavior looks like
Be Respectful
·       Student has required texts demonstrating that he/she is prepared to learn.
·       Student lines up quietly to enter class & seated in class on time.
·       Student binder, backpack and school supplies are organized.
·       Student brings assistive technologies (eyeglasses etc.)
·       Assignments are completed to the best of your ability and turned in on time.
·       Student does not chew gum.
Be Safe
·       Student treats others kindly and with dignity. No bullying.
·       Student allows others their turn to speak. Everybody has a chance to participate.
·       Student places their trash in the garbage cans at the end of class.
·       Student recycles whenever possible.
Be Responsible




HOMEWORK SHOULD BE COPIED DAILY IN AN AGENDA PLANNER or AGENDA APP.

CHECK CLASS WEBSITE
http://www.hollywoodhighschool.net/FOR ASSIGNMENTS, LECTURE NOTES, AND STUDY TIPS

Bring Supplies to class ( lined paper, sharpened pencils, pencil sharpener, red and blue pens).
·       Assignments are completed to the best of your ability and turned in on time.
·       Student is an active listener with eyes focused on speaker, takes and reviews class notes daily.
·       Student contributes to the community by participating in class and volunteering for community service projects.
·       Student asks for help when needed. This sounds like
o   Teacher, can you check my work?
o   Teacher, how do I begin this assignment?
o   Teacher, please review this concept, idea, topic.
·       Student attends tutoring or mentoring programs for support.




I have:
o   Read the parent letter dated 1/13/14 and reviewed the key points with my child. 
o   Reviewed the 2014 school supply list and discussed the importance of being organized and prepared to learn with my child.
o   Read and reviewed the Learning Team Class Rules with my child.
o    Understand that I can monitor my child’s grades through engrade.com and that 9th Grader’s progress in meeting positive behavior and study skills goals can be monitored via classdojo.com.
o   Understand that NMA and MET students should use their LAUSD email accounts for all school correspondence.


___________________________________________           ______________________
Print Student Last Name, First Name             Period #

___________________________________________            ______________________
Student Signature                                                   Date

__________________________________________________      ____________________________
Print Parent/Guardian Last Name, First Name         Date                          

________________________________________     ________________________  _(_____)________-____________
Parent Signature 

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